Woman in Te'o fake girlfriend photo speaks out

In a photo provided by ESPN, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o paused during an interview with ESPN on Friday in Bradenton, Fla.

NEW YORK » The woman whose photo was used as the "face" of the Twitter account of Manti Te'o's supposed girlfriend says the man allegedly behind the hoax confessed and apologized to her.

Diane O'Meara told NBC's "Today" show today that Ronaiah Tuiasosopo used pictures of her without her knowledge in creating a fake woman called Lennay Kekua. Te'o asserts he was tricked into an online romance with Kekua and, until last week, did not understand he was being hoaxed.

O'Meara went to high school in California with Tuiasosopo, but she says they're not close. He called to apologize Jan. 16, the day Deadspin.com broke the hoax story, she said.

"I don't think there's anything he could say to me that would fix this," said O'Meara, a 23-year-old marketing executive in Los Angeles.

O'Meara said she had never had any contact with Te'o, and that for five years, Tuiasosopo "has literally been stalking my Facebook and stealing my photos."

Tuiasosopo has not spoken publicly since the news broke. His family has said they may speak out this week.

Te'o did an off camera interview with ESPN last week and is scheduled to appear on appear with his parents on Katie Couric's syndicated talk show Thursday.

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busterbwrote:

She was dumb for putting her picture on the net in the first place. But then again, isn't that what Facebook is for? To re-connect with people losers didn't really know in High School? If you knew them, and they actually liked you, you'd still know them...

on January 22,2013 | 10:23AM

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1localwrote:

folks - just goes to show 'anything' posted on line is free for all to use...

on January 22,2013 | 10:38AM

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cojefwrote:

FAcebook is relentless in attempting to lure you to register. Some of my friends who are registered with Facebook are used on a daily basis to bait you into signing up with them. Have resisted and more horror stories emerging and further don't really need them as I'm old, old senior who don't give rat's behind about divulging any personal data about myself. I know everything about me and that's sufficient. Don't need to convince anyone else who I am, what I have done, and who gives damn about you anyway. It's all about numbers for Facebook for profitable purposes and they benefit by you being a statistics for them.

on January 22,2013 | 10:40AM

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olos73wrote:

O'Meara said that Tuiasosopo had been stealing her photos on Facebook. Did she report it to authorities or Facebook? I'm not familiar with Facebook, so, I don't know what kind of things she could've done to get him caught. 5 years is a bit long if she knew he was doing it. If all of his victims came out earlier, maybe he would've been out in the open then.

on January 22,2013 | 10:26AM

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Anonymouswrote:

That why there a privacy control. but when it some one you have on your page well no stopping it. there no way to know someone copying your pictures

on January 22,2013 | 12:07PM

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IAmSanewrote:

There's no way to know if someone's saving your pictures to their computer...

on January 22,2013 | 03:52PM

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lca1214wrote:

Thhis guy Tuiasosopo appears to be quite a shady person. O"Meara and Te'o should pursue charges against him. Maybe this will make him think twice about doing it again and again.

on January 22,2013 | 10:35AM

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cojefwrote:

oops, guess it missed the point and not related to the 23 years old Miss marketing executive exploited because she divulged some personal data in Facebook. Have not registered with them as they want you as statistics as a registrant to up their advertising revenue. Exposing or divulging your personal data or photograph can be dangerous, as this case illustrate. Have daily been contacted by Facebook to register with them. no way!

on January 22,2013 | 10:45AM

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Mythmanwrote:

Facebook is a scam from Day One

on January 22,2013 | 11:00AM

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ichibanwrote:

Hello, I'm not a cryptographer but are you writing in a coded message? Get your sentences together or your chain of thought, cause I have a difficult time figuring out what you're trying to get across. I mean no disrespect by this.

on January 22,2013 | 11:13AM

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jomamawrote:

probably chinese spy sending message back to the motherland.

on January 22,2013 | 06:25PM

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kahu808wrote:

Too much tequila.

on January 22,2013 | 12:05PM

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jesswrote:

I'm a bit worried about the computer literacy programs taught at Punahou. It should not have taken too long to figure out this was a scam.

on January 22,2013 | 11:05AM

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GONEGOLFINwrote:

Jess, it has nothing to do with what has been taught at Punahou. This story can be connected to thousands, got it, THOUSANDS of people who go on-line and do what ever they do. Many people get duped into situations very similar to this.
Dont go around blaming a school for an individuals' ignorance or naieveness.